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Lecture series in support of STEM education continues Oct. 30 at St. Bonaventure University

Oct 21, 2013 |

The second lecture in St. Bonaventure University’s three-part series to promote interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and career opportunities is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 30.

Dr. Sean Nowling, professor of science at Jamestown Community College, will discuss “String Theory and the Physics of Space.”

The talk, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the William F. Walsh Science Center at St. Bonaventure. The series is sponsored by the university and the Dresser-Rand Challenger Learning Center.

“Following our first event’s informative discussion of the substantial career opportunities for STEM graduates in the region, Dr. Nowling will provide listeners a sense of the academic excitement STEM studies afford by introducing us to one of the frontier areas of contemporary physics research,” said Dr. Wolfgang Natter, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at St. Bonaventure.

Nowling earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois and has undertaken research at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics in Sweden. String theory, the topic of his presentation, is the leading candidate for a complete description of nature on the smallest of scales. It promises to connect many disparate subjects, from black holes to subatomic physics. In his introductory talk, intended for high school students and a general audience, Nowling will survey current understandings of this subject and offer his views on what it may teach us.

A question and answer period as well as reception will follow the presentation.

The final lecture is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 4 in the Walsh Science Center. Dr. David Hilmey, chair of the Department of Chemistry at St. Bonaventure, will talk about “Chemistry and Space: How the Very Small Influences the Infinitely Large.”

Since 2009, nearly 10,000 students from 17 counties in New York and Pennsylvania have participated in the Challenger Learning Center’s missions and other programs.

“As a longterm educator in the public schools, I know firsthand how meaningful early exposure to the sciences can be for area students,” said Fred Welch, director of the Challenger Center. “I warmly invite area students and their parents to take advantage of this series.”
For more information about the Dresser-Rand Challenger Center, visit drcl.org.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. We are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.